Long Description:Lake Pukaki lies in the centre of the South Island in an area known as the Mackenzie Basin. Its turquoise blue colour and magnificent mountain backdrop is admired by many visitors. It is 3.5 hours drive south of Christchurch on State Highway 8.

Lake Pukaki is a glacial lake, formed when the terminal moraines of receding glaciers blocked the valley, forming the moraine-dammed lake. The lake occupies the lower end of a glaciated valley and is confined by a moraine 16,000–18,000 years old. The exceptionally clear waters are an unusual blue colour due to 'glacial flour' (powdered rock) carried into it from the glaciers above. The lake gets water from the braided Tasman River at its northern end which is fed by the Tasman and Hooker Glaciers. The shoreline of Lake Pukaki is generally quite barren and uninhabited. Fishing in the lake is sparse except near stream inlets and outlets.

Co-ords are given for the Visitor Centre parking area at the southern end of the lake, a great place to view the lake and the mountains.